Improvement in wagon-bodies



J. D. PE'TTIT.

Improvement in `Wagon-Bodies.

Patented Aug 13,1872.

im mm1] f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' JAMES D. PET'IIT, OF ROCHESTER, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT iN WAGON-ecoles.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 130,531, dated August13, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES D. 1ETTrT, of Rochester, in the county ofFulton and State of Indiana, have invented an Improvement iu Wagon Beds;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact.description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing forming part of this specification, in which- Figures 1 and 2are perspective views, showing a portion of the side piece and bed ot' awagon-body provided with my invention. Fig. 3 is a perspective view,showing the connection of the end-gate; and Fig. 4c is a transversevertical section of my invention.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawing denote the sameparts.

This invention is an improvement on the wagon-body patented to meNovember 2S, 1871, No. 121,409; and it consists, mainly, in an improvedform of the sockets employed for the reception of the curved hooks orlugs of the side pieces, said sockets consisting of circular meta-lbolts provided with curved orifices and tapering toward their lowerends, where they terminate in smaller threaded stems, which projectthrough the bed and are iitted with nuts, the whole operating, when saidnuts are turned up, to clamp the cross-bars or sills of the wagon-bed tothe longitudinal portions, as well as forming sockets, as above stated.It also consists in an improved method of connecting the endgates withthe side pieces, whereby a saving of metal is ett'ccted and theconstruction simplified.

The details oi' construction and method of operation will be more fullydescribed hereinafter.

A represents the wagonbed, which is provided at its ends with transversesills B. C represents the circular nietallic bolts or sockets, which arelet into the bed A, one at each corner, the same projecting downwardthrough the sills B, tapering inward at their lower ends, as shown inFig. 1, and terminating in small er threaded stems D, which are providedwith nuts E. F are curved orifices in the sockets C, into which enterthe correspondin gl y-shaped lugs G of the side pieces H, which latterare further secured to the bed A by pins h entering sockets t'.

It will be readily seen that by this arrangement a socket is producedwhich is easily inserted and removed, and which binds the sills to thebed by turning the nuts E closely up.

The lugs Gr are attached to the side pieces by metal plates K, whichproject upward from said lugs and are bolted or otherwise attached tothe inner sides of the pieces H, as shown in Fig. 1. The edges oftheplates K are beveled,

and constitute ways on which slide the corre.

spondingly beveled or dovetailed grooves of the end gates J, which areformed in the metallic end plates M, as shown in Fig. 3. By this meansthe connection between the end gates and side pieces is effected by theuse of two parts-viz., the plates or ways K, and channeled plates M.

This construction is cheaper and more simple than the former one, iuwhich three parts were employed for the same purpose, channeled platesbeing attached t-o the side pieces i over the plates K of the lugs Gr,and receiving dovetail tongues on the end gates.

The end gates are locked with the side pieces by meansof a horizontalrod, O, which extends across the same, its ends being bent at rightangles and engaged with notches P in the plates K by turning the same bymeans of a handle or loop, It, which is held in place by a pivoted hook,S, as shown in Fig. 3..

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. The socketsC, constructed and applied substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

2. The metallic plates K, of dovetail form,

having the bent lugs G at their lower end, v

when constructed and applied substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

JAMES D. PETTIT.

Witnesses:

13.1?. MECELING,

T. AERAHAMS.

